I am trying to live a minimalist life. But that doesn’t mean I still don’t own stuff.
My family of four still owns three beds, three dressers, two couches, one table with chairs, one desk, eight plates, eight bowls, eight glasses… My kids own toys and books. My wife sews. I read, play sports, and care for the house. We may be seeking to live a minimalist life, but we are still consumers. After all, to live is to consume.
But we have worked hard to escape excessive consumerism. Consumerism becomes excessive when it extends beyond what is needed. When we begin consuming more than is needed, boundaries are removed. Personal credit allows us to make purchases beyond our income-level. Advertisements subtly reshape our desires around material possessions. And the consumption culture that surrounds us begins to make excessive consumption appear natural and normal.
Excessive consumption leads to bigger houses, faster cars, trendier clothes, fancier technology, and overfilled drawers. It promises happiness, but never delivers. Instead, it results in a desire for more… a desire which is promoted by the world around us. And it slowly begins robbing us of life. It redirects our God-given passions to things that can never fulfill. It consumes our limited resources.
And it is time that we escape the vicious cycle.
It is time to take a step back and realize that excessive consumption is not delivering on its promise to provide happiness and fulfillment. Consumption is necessary, but excessive consumption is not. And life can be better lived (and more enjoyed) by intentionally rejecting it.
Consider this list of ten practical benefits of escaping excessive consumerism in your life:
1) Less debt. The average American owns 3.5 credit cards and $15,799 in credit card debt… totaling consumer debt of $2.43 trillion in the USA alone. This debt causes stress in our lives and forces us to work jobs that we don’t enjoy. We have sought life in department stores and gambled our future on the empty promises of their advertisements. We have lost. Make getting out of debt a priority.
2) Less life caring for possessions. The never-ending need to care for the things we own is draining our time and energy. Whether we are maintaining property, fixing vehicles, replacing goods, or cleaning things made of plastic, metal, or glass, our life is being emotionally and physically drained by the care of things that we don’t need—and in most cases, don’t enjoy either. We are far better off owning less.
3) Less desire to upscale lifestyle norms. The television and the Internet has brought lifestyle envy into our lives at a level never before experienced in human history. Prior to the advent of the digital age, we were left envying the Jones’ family living next to us—but at least we had a few things in common (such as living in the same neighborhood). But today’s media age has caused us to envy (and expect) lifestyle norms well beyond our incomes by promoting the lifestyles of the rich and famous as superior and enviable. Only an intentional rejection of excessive consumerism can quietly silence the desire to constantly upscale lifestyle norms.
4) Less environmental impact. Our earth produces enough resources to meet all of our needs, but it does not produce enough resources to meet all of our wants. And whether you consider yourself an environmentalist or not, it is tough to argue with the fact that consuming more resources than the earth can replenish is not a healthy trend—especially when it is completely unnecessary.
5) Less need to keep up with evolving trends. Henry David Thoreau once said, “Every generation laughs at the old fashions, but religiously follows the new.” Recently, I have been struck by the wisdom and practical applicability of that thought whether relating to fashion, decoration, or design. A culture built on consumption must produce an ever-changing target to keep its participants spending money. And our culture has nearly perfected that practice. As a result, nearly every year, a new line of fashion is released as the newest trend. And the only way to keep up is to purchase the latest fashions and trends when they are released… or remove yourself from the pursuit altogether.
6) Less pressure to impress with material possessions. Social scientist Thorstein Veblen coined the phrase “conspicuous consumption” to describe the lavish spending on goods and services acquired mainly for the purpose of displaying income or wealth. In his 1899 book, The Theory of the Leisure Class, this term was used to describe the behavior of a limited social class. And although the behavior has been around since the beginning of time, today’s credit has allowed it to permeate nearly every social class in today’s society. As a result, no human being (in consumption cultures) is exempt from its temptation.
7) More generosity. Rejecting excessive consumerism always frees up energy, time, and finances. Those resources can then be brought back into alignment with our deepest heart values. When we begin rejecting the temptation to spend all of our limited resources on ourselves, our hearts are opened to the joy and fulfillment found in giving our personal resources to others. Generosity finds space in our life (and in our checkbooks) to emerge.
8) More contentment. Many people believe if they find (or achieve) contentment in their lives, their desire for excessive consumption will wane. But we have found the opposite to be true. We have found that the intentional rejection of excessive consumption opens the door for contentment to take root in our lives. We began pursuing minimalism as a means to realign our life around our greatest passions, not as a means to find contentment. But somehow, minimalism resulted in a far-greater contentment with life than we ever enjoyed prior.
9) Greater ability to see through empty claims. Fulfillment is not on sale at your local department store—neither is happiness. It never has been. And never will be. We all know this to be true. We all know that more things won’t make us happier. It’s just that we’ve bought into the subtle message of millions upon millions of advertisements that have told us otherwise. Intentionally stepping back for an extended period of time helps us get a broader view of their empty claims.
10) Greater realization that this world is not just material. True life is found in the invisible things of life: love, hope, and faith. Again, we all know there are things in this world that are far more important than what we own. But if one were to research our actions, intentions, and receipts, would they reach the same conclusion? Or have we been too busy seeking happiness in all the wrong places?
Escaping excessive consumption is not an easy battle. If it were, it would be done more often… myself included. But it is a battle worth fighting because it robs us of life far more than we realize.
Excessive consumption promises happiness, but never delivers. True life must be found somewhere else. (tweet that)
Image: schizoform
A friend of mine has let me borrow a book called LIVING LOVING AND LEARNING by Leo Bascgalia. He covers some of the same topics on this website; which I have just discovered. I think the univers is trying to tell me something. I live pretty simply. But i know that paring down even more could open my life up to infinite possibilities.
Thank you for your wonderful post.
I love your commitment to this cause. I am heavily supportive for the environmental aspect. It really is terrible how much waste we consume. How many people have loads of electronics that they are not even using but they will rush out to buy the newest latest and greatest. Thank you for your well thought out blog. For me I would like to move away from consumerism and start traveling more. -Daniella
I’ve just came across this blog. I’ve long espoused the minimalist lifestyle for years much to the amusement/scorn of family, friends and colleagues/co-workers. So it’s great to hear of other people with similar values as unfortunately I don’t come across any in my daily life. People are always trying to convince me and my wife that we could get better paid jobs, a bigger house with it’s own garden etc. We say why do we need our own garden when we have the countryside on our doorstep. Why do we need 20 pairs of shoes when we’ve only got two feet. We tell them we can walk to work, be back home by 6pm to do the stuff we like. We can spend time quality time together because we’re not stressed after a crap day at the office and have’nt had to waste 2-3 hours in traffic jams.
They get it when we explain but they seem to lack the courage and conviction of making the break in case their families and friends reject them. We say if their families and friends are prepared to do that, well, who needs people like that anyway. Here’s hoping you folk here are more successful in getting others to see the light.
I’m new to this whole way of life and I’m enjoying learning and reading up on it as much as possible. It’s like a breath of fresh air to release all this consumerism from my life. My husband and I were always living lavishly and not truly happy because then the worrying would creep up about bills and always wanting more. We are moving soon so I’ve been selling everything that we don’t need and soon we’ll be buying a house. We were looking at the big expensive houses when all we need is a small one since it’s just the two of us. It’s a sigh of relief to know that we are both in one accord on the living simply lifestyle now.
I have been cleaning out my house of junk. The release that u feel with each closet or cabinet that I clear out is amazing. Your site is so inspirational to me. Thank you!!!!
I am a homemaker, but I fail miserably. We have “too much stuff.” It is a heavy burden, all of our posessions. Looking through all our stuff to find a certain object that is quite obviously underappreciated. If it were of such importance it wouldn’t have been lost in the first place! I’m on a journey to pare down our posessions, and save my sanity. I am not a maid, I am not the finder of lost objects.
I would like to add that one of my fondest memories from childhood is going swimming with mom and siblings. We would go swimming at “Hickory Lake” every Monday. Always mom and us kids, sometimes Dad would come too, and we would barbecue for lunch. It wasn’t extravagant, but it was always anticipated!
I have always strived to live with much less then others and watched while people spiral out of control in the tide of materialism. I live in a studio less then 700 square feet,, drive a 10 year old car, shop only thrift stores and never participate in that part of our media driven culture that I see brainwashing so many that believe the next greatest item will bring them happieness. It truly is a blessing to live with less and appreciate life for other then materialism. Thank you for a very insightful website that will. help teach others to live with less.
I really wish that I had learned about minimalism long ago. I think I am two years into the process and loving it, but also I get frustrated at my slow pace. I expect it to happen over night, I know that isn’t possible, yet I still feel like my success has been limited. I’ve clear out a lot of items and feelings, so I know I am on the right path. It’s isn’t easy as you say.
Thank you for doing what you do. You are a guide of sorts, which I desperately need to keep going.
It is so nice to read your articles here, i am a reader from china, and could you please tell me how to add you on the blog?
I have always been a minimalist, my first home was 320 square feet, after that I lived in a cabin that was 500 square feet, and my most recent home was 700 square feet that I built myself. I recently sold it with all the furniture in it and bought a camper for $200.
Josh, I could not agree more. We took a 10 day trip to vacation with our 12 yr old granddaughter as we delivered her to her new home in Georgia, where our son (her stepdad) is now stationed. The only thing we came home with that we didn’t leave with was ticket stubs and receipts for food, gas, lodging, and attractions. We left her with one tshirt, and 1 small items she purchased with her own money. It’s amazing how much less she wants if she has to use her own money to buy it. As we helped our son and DIL unload the moving van, we strengthened our resolve to get rid of more stuff when we returned home. We recently emptied a hall closet and converted it to a small library for our 3 grandchildren. The stuff that was in the closet? All gone.
Amen Sister. I have had many elderly people tell me that when they were young they had to work really hard to have things. When they got older they had to get rid of the things to simplify. I have been told if they knew when they were younger what they know now, They wouldn’t have had to work so hard. For as time passes The things just becomes stuff that has no meaning and needs discarded.
Amazing words, Dave!!
Great post, Joshua. Bullet 2, in particular, resonates with me. When I’m thinking of purchasing something, I weigh the pros and cons between how much space the item will take, how often I have to clean it, how often I have to repair it, how often I will use it, how difficult it will be to move, etc, against how much joy I think it will add to my life. Sometimes (and I hope I’m not the only crazy person doing this), I’ll have a little conversation with the object in question. “I’ll take care of you, clean you, and give you space in my precious sanctuary, and in return, you will bring me happiness. If not, we’ll agree it’s not working out and one of us will have to leave.”
I like these bullet points, especially when I’m in a minimalist reading mode :)
Stumbled across your blog. It basically puts into words the gnawing feeling that I’ve had for awhile now, which has been weighing be down for some time. It’s an idea that was lurking in my subconscious, but hadn’t yet been fully realized.
I live in corporate America, am a sales person where image is important. I love my job and don’t want to change that, but I know I can change how I fit into the environment around me. I also have young twins, so we have lots of “stuff” lying around that’s just for them. I don’t think that I’ll ever get down to the true point of minimalism.
However! We will point ourselves in that direction and see where it leads us. Slowly. Surely. We have a small home, and don’t have tons of stuff by normal standards. But now that I’m going through it, I am amazed by how much excess there is. We got rid of half our coffee mugs, and still have an entire shelf full. Half our towels. Still have a shelf full. More than half of my clothes. Still drawers and a small closet full. It almost seems too overwhelming. Like the bags and boxes that I get out the door aren’t making much of a difference. But I know it will. I’ll just keep chugging along.
Great points, thank you!! I have now gotten rid of a lot of stuff, and we don’t watch a lot of TV in my house (and when we do we talk about the marketing message). But I still struggle with the idea that “if I just buy the right thing, I won’t need another…” which now leaves me still buying clothes, a new suitcase, new laptop, considering a different vehicle, all with the thought that if I just get the right one I won’t need another for a long time. What I should be focused on, is that whatever I have now actually works just fine! *sigh*
But I did want to point out a misconception — you stated that the average American has $15K in credit card debt. I think the “average” that most people state for this statistic is misleading — yes, the average credit card debt (of those who hold credit cards) might be $15k, but **most people don’t carry even credit card card debt at all.** This “average” stated here is the mean, not the most often occurring value (mode). So for example if you take 1 person who carries $75K+ and average her in with 4 people who carry $0, you get a mean average of $15k. That makes it sound like everyone is carrying $15K, when in reality, 4 out of the 5 people have zero debt.
Also, author David Platt quoting one of his parishoners in Radical:
I realize that there will never come a day when I stand before God and He looks at me and says, “I wish you would have kept more for yourself.”
I’m writing this more to remind myself.
When I was pregnant (starting around the fifth month when my belly showed), I used exactly two drawers in my huge closet. I had only a few items of clothing that fit and I just mixed and matched them to death. Pregnancy gave me the excuse not to buy but to use what was available.
And I was happy! I felt free from deciding what to wear, what to buy.
If I can only bring myself to de-own most of my closet and live like that for ever.
A few weeks before my parents’ estate sale, my young-adult son and I were walking through the house, surveying room after room of stuff we really didn’t want. (My parents weren’t really materialistic; they just loved bargains and hated to get rid of stuff.)
My son turned to me and said earnestly, “Mom; please live a minimalist life.”
It was a defining moment for me.
Your list is great. I’m quoting most of item 5 on my blog today.
I really appreciated this post. Thanks for sharing!
Goodness gracious! When I grow up I want to be like you. I have this open in one tab and a clothing store site open in another and I am trying so hard to fight this temptation. Buying clothes is an obsession of mines and it’s hypocritical of me because I abhor materialism. While I am far from a label junkie, I am a sales/ frugal junkie. Part of me wants to sell my whole wardrobe, half of which I do not wear. A part of me dies every time I think about it. I feel awful because I know money that I am using to buy these clothes could be used to save someone’s life. Its hard. Now that I finished this spiel, I have managed to close those 3 tabs lol. This helped/
Thanks for great thought provoking inspiration. My first step is de-cluttering and reducing what we do have and being more mindful of what I bring home.
great post!
I tend to think I’m immune to excessive consumerism. I’m *so* over that keeping up with the Joneses and credit card debt phase. Yet, I’m struggling with the little things – spending every dollar out of each paycheck on little random things, when it could (and should!) be put in our emergency fund. I’m really good at finding excuses to shop, and I do it as a hobby! Lame-o, right?
Since I’ve started my minimalist journey I’ve been working reaaaaally (times a billion) hard at NOT adding to my collection of crap. I’m practicing questioning every single purchase, and utilizing that whole, “one in, one out” idea – as well as encouraging my family to do the same!
While far from perfect, I’m already enjoying the feeling of having more control over my money and myself! Excessive consumerism blows. I used to be able (before my mega declutter) to look around me and see a bunch of garbage that we spent our hard earned money on, that isnt being used. It’s nice to not add to that collection of unused stuffs now :)
Good points here. You mention lifestyle envy. As I have come around to minimalism I have enjoyed less stress and many of the other benefits you talked about. I never dreamed that my friends and coworkers would envy my lifestyle. When they talk about the chaos I just smile and say call me if you want to change that.
I really love this post. Many of these ideas are things I have been thinking about but not in such a pointed succinct way. I am working on getting rid of stuff to become more simplified and free of things I don’t need. As I do this I am disgusted as I think about how much time and energy went into acquiring it.
My biggest realization recently has been something that is related to reason #2. I have always loved gardens. I have always had a garden that I design, tend and work to maintain. I have had aspirations of a magnificent garden someday. But lately I have been thinking about how all of the things I was imagining putting into the garden and all of the time I would spend caring for it would actually remove me from living my life fully. It would likely consume so much time, money, energy…just to keep it up as well as the rest of the yard, and the house etc. That is not what I want.
Another thought I have had about this is about how i get rid of stuff. I have been gathering up things to sell on Craig’s List. Why? I think because I feel I need the money. Do I? Not really. I have enough. There is not more that I need to be content. S now i am planning on donating, giving it away etc. Freeing…